Global Business and Economics (Bachelor of Science) FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences

Courses are held 100% in English.

The Global Business and Economics (GBE) degree programme can be studied with an optional semester abroad. Students study for six semesters (180 credit points) or seven semesters with one semester abroad (210 credit points). They attend six modules each semester, and each module grants students five credit points (ECTS).

The courses are completely taught in English, and the programme is internationally oriented. The course of study provides basic and practice-oriented knowledge in fields of business studies in a global setting. Students have the opportunity to select from a range of specialisation modules and tailor their studies to deepen their expertise in a specific field. After studying Global Business and Economics, students will be well prepared to start careers in internationally operating companies. Graduates will have excellent English-speaking skills. As a result, they will be able to operate confidently in international teams.

The regular intake for first-semester students is in the winter semester only.

The application deadline is 15 July for the winter semester.

During the first four semesters, students acquire basic and practice-oriented knowledge in fields of business studies. This includes topics such as Managerial Accounting, Marketing, Finance, Mathematics, or Economics. This knowledge is placed in an international and global context. Courses such as Personal Development and language courses in English and German complement the study programme. In the fifth semester, students can choose their courses from a catalogue of different elective modules. Examples of these elective modules include Digital Business, Economics of Innovation, and International Accounting. Deepening their intercultural competences, students can decide whether or not to study abroad for a semester at one of our 100 partner universities all over the world. To complete the degree, students will conduct in-depth research on a scientific topic and present their findings in a Bachelor's thesis during the final semester.

Optional semester abroad

There is no mandatory internship before or during the degree programme. However, there is the option to do a mobility semester, which offers the opportunity to incorporate a full-semester internship into the study programme.

No tuition fees

Before the semester starts, a mandatory social contribution and student activity fee ("Sozial- und Studierendenschaftsbeitrag") of about 320 EUR per semester has to be paid. It is used to benefit the "Studierendenwerk Aachen" (housing and social affairs) and includes the student mobility ticket (public transport), which is valid for a period of one semester and allows the use of all public transport in the whole of Germany except for high-speed trains.

The cost of living in Aachen amounts to approx. 900 EUR per month. You should have at least 670 EUR per month available, which is equivalent to 8,040 EUR per year. Monthly costs comprise the following: social contribution and health insurance (up to age 30): approx. 120 EUR monthly; accommodation: approx. 350–450 EUR (basic accommodation); food, clothes, and other essentials: approx. 200 EUR; and computer, TV, and radio licence fee: around 18 EUR. In order to cover your monthly living expenses, the amount mentioned above should be available under all circumstances.

Academic admission requirements include a German entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences or equivalent. Foreign applicants need a "Statement of Comparability" for foreign higher education qualifications. For further information, see: http://anabin.kmk.org/anabin.html.

Applicants with a foreign university entrance qualification other than the "Deutsche Hochschulzugangsberechtigung" apply via www.uni-assist.de.

Proof of English language skills (B2) must be uploaded to uni-assist as part of our admission requirements.

All applicants have to submit proof of their English language skills at level B2 (CEFR). This can be proven by one of the following:

• a German university entrance qualification with a grade of "ausreichend", which equals five points in an English course after class 11 or 12 at a German "Gymnasium"

• IELTS (6.5, 6.0, 5.5)

• TOEFL iBT (94–72), TOEFL PBT (626–543), TOEFL ITP Level 1 (626–543)

• Cambridge Preliminary English Test + Result Distinction (PET), Cambridge First Certificate in English + Grade B or C (FCE), Cambridge English: Business Vantage (BEC Vantage), Cambridge English: Legal (ILEC), Cambridge English: Financial (ICFE)

• PTE Academic 75–59

• TOEIC Listening and Reading Test (944–785), TOEIC Speaking Test (179–160), TOEIC Writing Test (179–150)

• telc B2 certificate 

• UNIcert II

• IGCSE 1st Language with average B2, IGCSE 2nd Language with average B2

• Applicants who can submit one of the following documents are generally exempt from the requirement to provide proof of English language proficiency for the "Global Business and Economics" programme: secondary school certificate (British A-Level Certificate, Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish Qualifications Certificate, New Zealand National Certificate of Educational Achievement, Canadian secondary school leaving certificates from all provinces except Quebec and New Brunswick) or a university degree from Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, USA, or Canada (except for the Quebec and New Brunswick provinces)

The application deadline is 15 July for the winter semester.

No

Applicants should not rely on working part-time during their studies to finance their stay in Aachen because it can be challenging to find a student job. However, some students are successful in finding part-time jobs either at the university or elsewhere.

Students usually live in a private room in a shared apartment. Living areas, bathrooms, and cooking facilities are shared. Furnished rooms start at 300 EUR per month plus around 75 EUR per month for electricity, water, and heating. It is possible to rent a private apartment, but the monthly costs are higher. Most apartments or rooms require the first month's rent and a security deposit of one to three months' rent in advance before you can move into the room. Aachen also has some public student residences. FH Aachen students can apply for a room in a student dorm (https://www.studierendenwerk-aachen.de/de/).

FH Aachen has a career service, which offers seminars, workshops, and lectures to support students in planning and preparing for their future careers.

Orientation week for "Freshers" (first-year students), "Freshers' helper team", Community of International Business Students (CIBS)

With over 2,700 students, the Faculty of Business Studies is the biggest faculty at FH Aachen. For more than 50 years, the Faculty of Business Studies has successfully been educating students in an economic, practice-oriented, and value-oriented manner.
The FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences was founded in 1971 after the merger of several technical colleges and vocational training centres. Additionally, it looks back on more than 100 years of practice-oriented educational tradition.
Theory and practice are closely linked during the entire course of study. A professionally qualifying and scientifically sound course of study is ensured by the close connection with professional practice and staff of 230 professors and approximately 700 employees engaged in teaching and research.
More than 15,000 students benefit from this. The FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences offers a first-rate education in modern and trendsetting professions. There is a close cooperation with regional and international business enterprises as well as renowned research institutions. At the FH Aachen, new job requirements are seen as a chance to constantly adjust and expand the curriculum.
At present, prospective students can choose from more than 70 Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes in engineering sciences, business studies, and design. In addition, some degree programmes are offered as dual and extra-occupational study programmes.
A special advantage of the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences is the location of Aachen in close proximity to Belgium and the Netherlands. This internationality in teaching and studies is an essential and unique feature of the FH Aachen. We prepare our students for the demands of a globalised working world and develop their capability of cross-cultural collaboration. To this end, we support the mobility of our students and teaching staff during the course of study and in joint projects as well as through international degrees in cooperation with our partner universities. Currently, the percentage of students from abroad at the Faculty of Business Studies is around 20%.

Aachen is the westernmost city in Germany, located right at the border of the Netherlands and Belgium. Today, Aachen has over 250,000 inhabitants. One in five residents is a student, contributing to the city's vibrant and youthful atmosphere. With its unique location in a tri-border region (Dreiländereck), Aachen has a great exchange of international cultures and lifestyles. Historic landmarks like Aachen Cathedral and the Old Town Hall lend the city its distinctive charm and make a stroll through the old streets especially inviting.